What's the future for Hiiumaa?

I was invited to share some thoughts in a panel discussion of the Hiiumaa economy forum, organized by the Hiiumaa Innovation Hub. It was a great event and I had a chance to meet most of the decision-makers, local entrepreneurs and community leaders.

I have relatively short roots in this Paradise Island. Our family started investing there 5 years ago. We are creating our second home there, that one day could become our first home. We also plan to create a training centre next to the main building.

However, it depends on several very important issues that have to be solved for new people to move to the island.

A very important issue is an extremely poor internet connection. There were investments made in the past into the cable connection, but it was never delivered to the rural villages. And there's no actual plan to make it happen. The mobile operators do not hurry to invest in new towers either.

Another important issue is the power grid. It's not just old, it's super old. The wires are mostly in the air, so storms and blizzards affect us the most. Last winter, there were hundreds of households cut off the power for over a week in the middle of winter. A lot has been discussed, but nothing done. And there are no realistic scenarios to solve it fast enough. Without electricity, people are not safe. When people are not safe, they lose trust in the system.

The third issue is that there is no actual and consistent business development program for the island after COVID-19. The local community is mostly represented by an older generation. Youngsters lack infrastructure, kindergartens and affordable and available housing. There could be many more jobs created if these issues were solved. From what I heard from the panellists, the local businesses have no plans for a bright future and lack innovative ideas. The local regulations halted the forestry sector and the community members are fighting against investments in sustainable energy sources, preserving the view from the window at the cost of development and prosperity. I felt a very strong domination of conformists and traditionalists in the venue.

On my way back home, I was analysing my takeaways through the lens of an optimist. It was very blurry. To make a change, you need to become this change. If you don't have this change gene in you, then you better step down and pass the wheel to those who embrace change as a way of life.

The island with the size of 1,5 of a Singapour should use its weaknesses to make them its strength. For that, one needs the courage to make hard unpopular decisions and be willing to include every member of the community who has a word to say despite their political views or beliefs.

Evaluation models used by Swedish banks to finance the projects in Hiiumaa are also way outdated. It means we need community financing programs, community-based development plans and community-based decision-making processes. For those decisions to be smart, we need to include much more people in our community. Everyone who crosses the channel every summer and has invested in real estate has a word to say. These are mostly wealthy and smart people bringing their money to the island. The money used for building the future Hiiumaa. We have to map them out and learn about their needs and expectations.

It's time to remove the political programmes from the table and focus on what will become the future of the island, our kids and grandkids.

Fortunately, in the past years, there have been more and more newcomers who think differently and are willing to bring their knowledge, experiences, and networks to the table.

There's always a sun over the clouds. I believe in a brighter future for Hiiumaa. But I am not naive. This future will be built by different leaders.

There's always hope though.